Crying
by Myst Knight
Summary: Part of the Starcrossed Popstar series. Kirby challenges the wicked Marx once again, this time with a band of close allies. But his battle comes with a heavy price. Kirby/Ribbon (cameo by Lolo of Adventures of Lolo)


**Crying**

 **By Myst Knight**

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 _Disclaimer: Kirby's Dream Land/Adventures of Lolo are owned by Nintendo and HAL Laboratories. I write this without consent, and am making no money off of it._

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Character Expose: Ribbon

Kirby's gentle partner in Kirby 64. She crash-landed on Pop Star one day with a slew of troubles arising from the Dark Matter, and Kirby offered his assistance; no questions asked. They traveled across the stars in search of the crystal shards that would help them defeat this adversary, together with a troop of odd friends. His thanks for defeating Dark Matter was a kiss on the cheek from Ribbon, which sent Kirby into a lovestruck daze and a subsequent topple down a staircase.

* * *

The aurora of Dreamland's Rainbow Resort stood before Kirby like the masterpiece collaboration of artists enlightened by the heavens. With each different area more random than the next, it was as if each artist handed the masterpiece off to the next artist after fifteen minutes of work, who in turn handed it to the next. The result was a random work bound by a single, surreal theme. The illustrator Paint Roller would kill for a one-way-trip from Ice Cream Islands to Rainbow Resort; he would kill Kirby, at any rate.

But he wasn't here today, and it was just as well; Kirby had enough trouble on his flippered hands. In front of the pink puff was the starlined door leading to the final area: the lair of Marx, who was fresh from his defeat and ready to make another bid at the planet Pop Star. But before that, there was Meta Knight, standing before him like a masked hellfire demon. Apparently, he had taken up mercenary work again, and was prepared to earn his keep with the sharp side of his curved blade.

Basically, it all came down to the fact that Marx could no longer fool the sometimes gullible Kirby, so he was going about world conquering the old fashioned way: a massive army. His militia was mostly composed of the same goons that Kirby had dealt with before, but they were numerous, and then there were bosses to deal with. The two top contenders to worry about included of course Meta Knight, and there was also a fellow swordsman by the name of Don Medusa, who hailed from Eggarland. In that regard, Kirby followed suit, and formed his own gorup in response.

The Dreamlander had worked with teams before; he made friends easily no matter where he went. This time, though, his group was mostly composed of creatures he had rarely dealt with personally. Each one had gotten involved for their own reasons, but they did well at taking up the slack. They were handling the baddies right now, and Kirby chanced a quick glance behind him, despite Meta Knight's piercing gaze boring into him.

There was Sorablade, one of the avian Dynablade's brethren. He had grown into a proud eagle since the death of his mother at the Halberd battle, and was eager to wreak havoc on anyone connected to that tragedy, especially he could help his foster parent Kirby. Sorablade was currently doing just that, using his talons and to rip away at Meta Knight's goons. Their weapons had difficulty reaching something that could stay above their heads indefinitely, and they were being mopped up like a bathroom floor.

There was Bright, one half of the destructive duo Bright and Shine. The sun and moon team had cleaned up their acts since Kirby had fought them, but it seems that they had also gone their separate ways. It was a breakup argument of the ages, and Bright was currently taking that residual rage out on his enemies with tremendous fire-based attacks. Kirby just supposed absence made the heart grow fonder, and Bright needed a little time away from his opposite half.

There was Lolo, magic-using prince from the neighboring kingdom of Eggarland. Somehow, Lolo's finance Lala had gotten mixed up as a hostage in Marx's plan, and he had come along in hopes that they could mount a rescue. This fuzzy racket-ball of a creature was actually the most intelligent of their group, and he had taken it upon himself to solve any problems that couldn't be handled with force. This wasn't one of those problems however, so Kirby had lent Lolo his old Rainbow Sword, forged from the seven Rainbow Drops, to utilize against old foe Don Medusa, leaving Meta Knight for Kirby.

And then there was Ribbon, the fairy girl from distant Ripple Star. Kirby had been traveling with her for some time now, and had come along to the next big adventure as if it was only natural that she do so. Only, this was proving to be far more harrowing, as she had to deal with a group of beam-wielding Waddle Doos. She held up okay, tearing into the group with a special pair of tri-daggers, but was also having to expend a great about of energy flying about to avoid their deadly electric beam attacks.

"It isn't wise to turn your back on me," a gravely, threatening voice growled out, and Kirby whirled back around to his opponent. "I fight my battles with honor, but I'll slay you in a second in you ignore me." Meta Knight was ten inches of pure menace, and Kirby felt his flippers tighten around his weapon, the gigantic flaming zanbatou he had used in his third quest against Dark Matter. Like it was a security object or something.

In response to this, Meta Knight had changed weapons, and was now wielding an extra-long katana sword, powered with ice magic and sporting a blade of Role Playing Game proportions. He of course brandished it blade like it was a circus baton, spinning it behind his back with the blade sticking out. Kirby would have to rely on the sheer power of the zanbatou to knock Meta Knight off balance. Though you would never tell by looking, between the two of them Kirby was stronger.

"So it's you and me, Kirby," Meta Knight said, bringing his katana up to bear. "A grand duel, just like the days of old."

"Hey Meta Knight, why are you doing this?" Kirby asked, genuinely curious. "Can we just duel for fun?"

"Don't make me waste my breath," the warrior said contemptuously, curling up in his stance. "Prepare!"

And then Meta Knight was on him, rushing forward with an overhead swipe that Kirby was hard-pressed to defend against. He brought up his zanbatou just in time, and the two blades rang like a bell. Meta Knight quickly followed up the blow with an elaborate spinning strike, and Kirby shifted his weapon to deflect the attack. Thinking he had an opportunity, he swung hard at Meta Knight's side, but the warrior's control over his katana was absolute, and the attack was rebuffed.

As the two combatants went round and around, Kirby's mind wandered to Ribbon, still fighting valiantly against her Waddle Doos. How did she keep getting mixed up in such dangerous battles? Because she followed him, he guessed to himself, while wincing from the aftershock of a blocked blade. She had been following him, ever since that day one year ago.

* * *

Kirby was in his house, enjoy the finer half of a pizza, when Ribbon had just shown up one day at his door, looking exactly how he left her. Her blue eyes and short-cropped pink hair left no option for him, and Kirby once again welcomed her with open flippers. And so they were off again, going on whatever adventures came to Kirby. It was a grand old time, and they met many new friends, as well as new enemies.

It took a while for the truth to break through his innocent nature, but Kirby eventually realized that Ribbon wanted to be more than friends. She never pressed too hard, but always made it clear how she felt, with a kiss on the cheek or a squeeze of the hand. Lately, Kirby had responded more positively to Ribbon's attentions, letting her lean against his side during the late nights watching shooting stars. Ribbon had actually come to him like a shooting star; he knew good things were likely to come from the heavens.

Although Kirby's life was stagnant, he began to wonder if Ribbon was trying to become a permanent part of it. It seems she was in no hurry to go back to Ripple Star, and had been sleeping over at his house so many times that she started laying claim to certain things of Kirby's. The coffee mug was Ribbon's, the star pillow was Kirby's, the juicer Ribbon's, the portable grill Kirby's, and so forth. And he was slowly starting to realize that he liked it that way.

* * *

"You're getting sloppy," Meta Knight taunted, pointed his blade art Kirby's midsection. "A distracted opponent is no joy for me!" It was true; the warrior had managed to remove Kirby's zanbatou form his grip, which lay at his feet with Meta Knight daring him to try picking it up. Kirby figured he'd be able to roll away from Meta Knight's promised lunge, but it would be difficult to get back to the Zanbatou.

"Then try an Eggarland prince on for size!" a chirpy voice called out from above. Kirby and Meta Knight looked up to find Lolo bearing down on the latter with his long sword, fresh from his battle with Don Medusa. Meta Knight had to divert his attention for the moment to defend against a surprisingly powerful blow, strong enough to slide him along the ground. Lolo pressed his attack with a series of precise strokes, and Meta Knight was left at a loss for how to regain his ground.

By now, Kirby had regained his flaming zanbatou, and had joined his ally in a two pronged attack on the mercenary. Meta Knight tried his best to keep attacking, but Kirby and Lolo could easily block the strikes that the warrior had to divide between the two of them. The two worked well as a team, with Kirby providing the brute force,

It was when Meta Knight was reeling from a particularly hard blow of Kirby's that Lolo made his move. With his free hand stretched out in front of him, a magic circle bearing a pentacle appeared in the air, like "Magic Shot!" Lolo chanted, and a round bolt of energy sprang from the circle, impacting against Meta Knight's exposed flank and encasing him inside a magic egg. Lolo fired again, and the bolt knocked the egg clear across the battlefield into an outcropping, the egg cracking apart to once again reveal Meta Knight, winded and dazed from the whimsical attack.

Kirby and Lolo slowly walked across to the fallen Meta Knight, their weapons still at the ready. Meta Knight was covered in egg yolk and white, his katana twenty feet away and clearly unavailable. "It seems two on two isn't my style," he said, rubbing his mask to see if it had broken apart again. "I'll take my troops to tend to their wounds now."

Bringing up his cape in preparation for his traditional retreat, Meta Knight spared one last glance at Kirby behind the cloth. "You should tend to your troops as well, Kirby," he said quietly, with a certain knowing quality about his tone. Folding himself up in his cape, he sprang up and away into the purple-swathed skies of Rainbow Resort. In tandem, all the soldiers Sorablade had defeated warped away, somehow magically connected to their departing leader.

Kirby and Lolo stared at Meta Knight's exit for a moment, then at each other. Then, the put their weapons away; Kirby separating the zanbatou back into the Cutter and Fire ability stars, and Lolo sheathing the Rainbow Sword. "We should make sure to prepare for Marx before heading on," Lolo told him, his big eyes conveying the intelligent appraisal. "Let's see if everyone's okay."

Kirby nodded, and walked with him back towards the rest of the group. It seemed everything was fine. Bright had a few nicks and bruises from Meta Knight's goons, but was otherwise in pretty good shape. Sorablade hadn't been touched at all, and could give his all in the next battle.

And yet, there was something in their manner that seemed a bit off. Bright still carried his trademarked gruff demeanor, but it was almost as if it was some sort of mask now. Sorablade was much more honest with his emotions; his face carried a smoldering despair. "What's wrong?" Kirby asked, completely confused by this

The two just looked at him sadly, then turned their gaze behind them at a figure on the ground. Kirby stared beyond them, and gasped.

Prone on the ground was face-first Ribbon, moving very slightly. Her thin fairy wings were bent, and there was a large burn streaked on the front of her dress, no doubt carved in by a Waddle Doo's beam weapon. Miraculously, the hair-bow atop her head remained untouched by the battering she had received. But her eyes were weak, flickering with a fast fading life.

In a panic, Kirby quickly ran past Sorablade and Bright to aid the fading fairy. "Ribbon, Ribbon!" he cried, his flippers flapping wildly with. Arriving at her side, he brought her up in. "Ribbon, does it hurt bad?"

Ribbon didn't respond directly to this, instead just gazing at his puffy face. "Uuh...Kirby, I don't think I'll be able to have fun with you anymore..." she whispered, bearing waning smile for his benefit.

"We'll get you better in no time!" Kirby tried, his optimistic nature straining a bit under the weight of the current situation. "I bet there's a Maxim Tomato before we reach Marx!"

"No, no, I think I'll be going this time," she shook her head, her flippy hair shifting from side to side. "It's too bad for it to fix." She winced a bit, the pain from her injury catching up to her.

"Ribbon!" Kirby exclaimed.

Ribbon had the most curious expressions on her face: a sad smile that actually held some real happiness. "Us Ripple Star fairies don't live very long, except for the Queen," she told him. "I knew she didn't want me to leave Ripple Star, but since I begged, she said yes. I think she understood me. It didn't really matter, since I would've gone anyway no matter what she said."

"Ribbon!" he cried again, some tears flying from his eyes.

"Remember when we sat under Whispy Woods, and you let me have some of the apples he gave you?" The fairy was almost babbling as she struggled to say all she could with the time she had. "It was the first time you shared your food with someone else. I know how you love to eat, so it must've made you hungry. But you knew I was hungrier, so you gave some to me."

"Don't talk, Ribbon," Kirby told her, quickly grabbing her hand. "Let's get a Maxim Tomato, okay?"

"It's okay," she said, lightly squeezing back his flipper. "My life was always going to be short, but I wanted to spend as much of it as I could with you. I'm glad...I got to spend it with you."

Kirby could see her eyes starting to close, and did the only thing he could think of. He gathered Ribbon up and kissed her gently on the lips. Her eyes were alight with new life, a rough blush forming on her cheeks. She was able to return the kiss for a time, slowly moving her mouth in concert to his, before she separated from him to catch what little breath she had.

"It tastes like marshmallow," she said softly, a true smile on her face this time. Then, the twinkle in her eyes vanished, and she died quietly.

Kirby waited for a brief moment as Ribbon lay motionless in his arms. The land of Rainbow Resort was quiet around him, as if the winds were waiting in reverence. A single tear flowed from his right eye; he neglected to wipe it from his face. He just brought his flipper to her face, and gently closed her eyes in a semblance of peaceful slumber.

Then, an odd, mystical thing began to happen. Ribbon was becoming incorporeal, as if it was being taken to another life. She was transparent now, and Kirby could see his own arms through her body. When it was over, she had vanished completely, with only her bow remaining as an epitaph.

The three allies remaining slowly walked to Kirby's side, not sure on how to approach him. All of them were silent, solemn for a loss that didn't happen in Dreamland very often.

"Hey guys, go on ahead," Kirby said quietly, not looking up. "I'll be there soon."

He could hear footsteps and flapping wings falling away into the distance. Kirby for all intents and purposes ignored them, his gaze remained to the bow before him. He then felt a gloved hand on his arm, and he turned to find Lolo standing before him. "Do you want to sit out the fight with Marx?" he asked the Dreamlander, an unreadable expression on his face.

Kirby smiled at him as if nothing ever happen at all, though his eyes still glimmered with unshed tears. "I'm be fine!" he said, showing no outward sign of sadness. "I'll catch up in a minute."

The prince stood for a moment, as if deciding whether on not to buy it. Then, he turned around and followed Sorablade and Bright through the starlined door, his sheathed sword clanking at his round side.

Kirby watched him disappear out of sight, they resumed his attention to the empty space that Ribbon left in her wake. The bow still lay on the mosaic Rainbow Resort ground. Methodically, Kirby picked it up and tied it onto his left arm like some sort of sash. He regarded it as if it was some sort of medical gizmo, intravenously feedin him with life blood.

"You'll always be with me on my adventures, Ribbon," he said quietly, his expression turning as hard as it had even been. Then, he followed his allies, sans one, to the final battle, with the warm love of a fallen fairy filling his heart forever.

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'Fin


End file.
